Interview with a Master Caftsman

When Nico from Wavegliders said he had time to answer a few questions for Surf Bunker I was, to say the least, pretty happy - being a massive fan of his water craft. The boards that he creates remind me of a time long passed, when people cared less about landing airs and more about the line they wanted to draw.

All of the boards Nico makes are 100% handmade, he uses traditional materials and has been shaping boards longer then I have been old enough to drive a car. His company, Wavegliders has its factory set back from Ericiera in the beautiful rolling hills, the set up itself is also something pretty unique.

The top level of the factory is just for Nico, he makes 6 boards at a time, almost in a batch, and this is the part of the business that he loves the most, shaping new boards for people all over the world. The second floor is more about bowing to the market and making performance boards which is far bigger, that part is about paying the bills he says. On the bottom floor he has a board copying machine that cost a cool 50k and space he rents out to other individual shapers.

It is hard to convey the quality and feel of the hand shaped craft, from the nose rider longboards to the mini Simmons type quads and twinnys - they all exude class and feel like they are built to last a lifetime. The attention to detail and the finish are second to none.

Bottom line - Nico really knows his stuff and has an unbridled passion for what he creates. Surf Bunker was lucky enough to get a few questions in with him.

SB How old are you Nico and where are you born?

Nico : I am 41 years old and I was born in town (Lisbon) and grew up there, surfing, sailing and backpacking.  I have been coming to Ericiera to surf for 20 years and moved here 3 years ago.  I never really worked for anyone else, always kind of been working for myself.

SB: How did you come to be shaping your own boards and have such a cool set up?

Nico : It’s kind of a long story. I started shaping boards on my own in 1989 and did that for 7 years, then a local company asked me to work with them, I did that. That’s when the opportunities started coming, I went to work in Spain with Full and Cas and then came back to Portugal to work with Tropical Energy and that is when I decided to start Wavegliders.

SB: All your boards look pretty amazing, what first inspired you to become a board shaper?

Nico : Being able to ride my own boards and my mates being able to ride my boards, it’s like, it’s amazing, you are making functional vehicles and people are riding them, can it be better than that? (laughs)

SB: Which other shapers, past or present do you look up to?

Nico : Well I get inspired by both old and new school shapers, Bob Simmons because of the displacement hull also George Greenough. Well what I do at Wavegliders is the modernisation of the old classic or the continuation of the natural process in getting these designs pure. I get inspired by modern shapers like Ryan Lovelace, Tyler Hatzikian, Josh Hall, Skip Frye the old legend, ummmm Greg Liddle, these are the guys that give me inspiration and the information that I need to do my work.

SB: When you are shaping a board for someone how do you know what they want? Is it a conversation that you have over the phone, email or in person?

Nico : Well, there is definitely a conversation, whichever way it happens. Sometimes people know what they want and sometimes they need a bit of help, you know. My boards are about the trip through design, so you might want a specific board for a specific wave. Sometimes people want a single fin or a mini Simmons but are not sure if it will work for them. All of my models can be customized to what you want to do. If you are looking for a progression board maybe an egg but it’s up to you what lines you want to draw and from what period of surfing.

SB: What do you think about the sustainable surfboard movement, bamboo, cork etc?

Nico : Hey man these people are killing trees to make surfboards (laughs). Hey it’s a big world, I am old school, and this is my background. The simplicity of the polyurethane and polyester resin means you can just grab a couple of stands, pieces of foam, a planner, maybe a beer then you and a friend can shape a board in the back yard and glass it. The next day you are surfing it, It easy, it’s simple. That is my connection with surfboards. All the other types of construction are legitimate in their own way, the best thing is if everyone sticks to what they do best and are happy doing it.

SB: All your boards are totally hand made from start to finish, how long would it take to make one board?

Nico : Hey, it depends on the stoke, you can shape in the morning, glass it in the afternoon, spend all night on it and by lunchtime next day you can be surfing it and then you are like wooohooo. But production wise I start six boards and then glassing and fins boxes, downstairs for polishing then back upstairs for finishing. It takes about a week for that process.

SB: Is there any money in it or do you do it for the love?

Nico : Of course there is money, if there was no money I could not be here doing what I love full time. Money is a necessary evil.

SB: Where could I buy Wavegliders boards, on-line, shops?

Nico : Presently you can buy Wavegliders in shops in Sweden, Switzerland, Germany, Italy and through the web of course .In Portugal you can buy directly from the factory, there are also two shops I work with, Magic Quiver in Ericeira and Retro Sailor in Sagres.

SB: What nationality are most of your customers?

Nico : All over really, Finland, Sweden, Germany, Australia, Canada, Miami, Israel. I have boards pretty much all over the world.

SB: I really like the look of that orange board there, how much would that set me back?

Nico : Well with the full extras, tinted resin everything it would be about 750 Euros. Those boards are made to last, they are not like the high performance boards were weight matters, they are a good compromise between performance and durability. I glass the bottom with 4 oz and the top with 6 oz and 4 oz.

SB: What part of building boards to you enjoy the most?

Nico : Sometimes it can be stressful when I am talking to clients or when I am glassing, I hate glassing when I know I could be back shaping other boards. I like shaping, I am a surfboard builder but I am a shaper, I like shaping boards. The shaping is the beginning of the board, if you don’t have that, you don’t have anything, you can’t surf with some cloth and resin. If a surfer is stoked with a board that I have shaped for him, that is the best ,you know, that is why I am here. But I am a surfboard builder and I enjoy the whole process. I like the finish and the resin panels, the whole thing has be perfect, not using pin lines to cover messy bits.

SB: Can you describe how it made you feel the first time you caught a wave or got barrelled?

Nico : Wooooo, that’s a difficult one, I don’t think there are any words that can describe it, it’s something that happens inside your head. Getting a barrel is like being in a time machine, like moments that are recorded in time, ahh its impossible, there is no answer for that question.

SB: What was your first surfboard?

Nico : It was a locally shaped tear drop shaped board 6'7 from the 70's, it was a lipstick from Semente shaped by Nick. It was brownish and old and everybody laughed and said 'hey you need a new board' (laughs) they said it was a kook's board and when you are a kid , you don’t want to have a kook's board. (laughs)

SB: Who is your favourite surfer on the WSL, who is going to win this year?

Nico : Slater (no pause for thought), he is the man, you know. All the others are really good athletes but Slater is a natural, he is very creative and when you are least expecting it he pulls a rabbit out of the hat. I don’t know who is going to win but I would like to see Kelly win another world title for sure.

SB: What is your favourite wave anywhere?

Nico : It’s a ummm, a secret spot around here (Ericiera), I have just surfed it with one other friend and it’s a left, a perfect left with no one on it.

After our time was up and I had exhausted my questions Nico took me on a tour of the factory, which was spotless. He waved goodbye to me and I drove the short distance in Ericeira to have a look at one of the shops that stock Wavegliders.

I promptly bought a Wavegliders board from them. More about that later.